Systems and methods for health care communication

Abstract

Systems and methods for communication facilitation are provided. The systems and methods may aid in automatically of determining where a given vendor representative's attention is needed. The systems and methods may aid in improving and facilitating communications between personnel in an operating room and a remote vendor representative.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of communication with a vendor representative, said method comprising:
 obtaining medical procedure scheduling information for one or more health care facilities;   determining, with aid of a processor and based on the medical procedure scheduling information, a vendor representative that may facilitate one or more medical procedures identified in the medical procedure scheduling information;   presenting, on a user interface of a device of the vendor representative, a visual representation of a medical procedure at a health care facility that would benefit from the vendor representative at the time that the visual representation is displayed; and   creating a communication channel between the device of the vendor representative, and a device of medical personnel at a location for the medical procedure in response to a single interaction between the vendor representative and the visual representation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein presenting the visual representation of the medical procedure also includes presenting at least one additional visual representation of at least one additional medical procedure that would benefit from the vendor representative at the time that the at least one additional visual representation is displayed. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the device of the medical personnel at the location for the medical procedure is supported by a medical console that comprises at least one movable arm supporting a camera. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the medical console comprises a plurality of wheels that allowed it to move within the location for the medical procedure. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the single interaction between the vendor representative and the visual representation is a single touch or a single click. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vendor representative is selected based at least partially on an identity of the health care facility or an identity of the medical personnel performing the one or more procedures. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vendor representative is selected based at least partially on vendor representative experience or user feedback of the vendor representative. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication channel permits real-time video and audio interaction between the device of the vendor representative and the device of the medical personnel. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the device of the vendor representative is configured to display video captured by multiple different cameras, or other audio or video inputs, at the location of the medical procedure upon the creation of the communication channel. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the visual representation of the medical procedure includes an identity of the health care facility or operating room location. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising permitting one or more additional communication channels to be created between the device of the medical personnel and an another vendor representative device, thereby permitting multiple vendor representatives to participate simultaneously on a conference communication to support the same medical procedure. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the medical procedure scheduling information is updated in real-time. 
     
     
         13 . A system for communication with a vendor representative, said system comprising:
 one or more processors configured to:
 (1) determine a vendor representative that may facilitate one or more medical procedures, upon receiving a request originating from one or more health care facilities that are performing the one or more medical procedures; and 
 (2) generate code, logic or instructions for presenting on a user interface of a device of the vendor representative, a visual representation of a medical procedure at a health care facility that would benefit from the vendor representative at the time that the visual representation is displayed; and 
   one or more communication units that facilitate creation of a communication channel between the device of the vendor representative, and a device of medical personnel at a location for the medical procedure in response to a single interaction between the vendor representative and the visual representation.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the one or more processors are further configured to obtain medical procedure scheduling information for one or more health care facilities and determine the vendor representative based on the medical procedure scheduling information. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the request originates from the device of the medical personnel that is supported by a medical console that comprises at least one movable arm supporting a camera. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the medical console comprises a plurality of wheels that allowed it to move within the location for the medical procedure. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the single interaction between the vendor representative and the visual representation is a single touch or a single click. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the vendor representative is selected based at least partially on an identity of the health care facility or an identity of the medical personnel performing the one or more procedures. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the communication channel permits real-time video and audio interaction between the device of the vendor representative and the device of the medical personnel. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the visual representation of the medical procedure includes an identity of the health care facility or operating room location.